Why governments are scrambling to pass smartphone killswitch laws

In less than a decade, smartphones have become an incredibly important part of peoples' lives. In the US alone, 166 million people now own them, according to a recent report by ComScore. And those devices aren't just used for making calls. More often they're used for texting, web browsing, going through email, and downloading apps, with Americans spending — on average — more than an hour a day with their eyes glued to tiny glowing screens.

All those things make them an increasingly worrisome target for theft. It's not just the hardware that's being stolen, it's potentially a chunk of your digital life too. That's why lawmakers in the US are trying (and in some cases succeeding) to pass bills requiring anti-theft features that protect consumer data while leaving thieves with a considerably less valuable piece of hardware.